Appointment of an eligible from an expired eligible list is impossible as a matter of law

Appointment of an eligible from an expired eligible list is impossible as a matter of law
Matter of Farrison, 2010 NY Slip Op 51113(U), Decided on June 24, 2010, Supreme Court, New York County, Judge Hunter [Not selected for publication in the Official Reports]

John D. Farrison filed a petition pursuant to CPLR Article 78 seeking an appointment as a New York City Correction Officer. Farrison contended that the Department of Correction's [DOC] decision not to select him from the eligible list resulting from Correction Officer Examination 2004 for such an appointment to one of three available vacancies was arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law.

Supreme Court dismissed Farrison’s petition, commenting that the redress he sought would require that he be appointed from the eligible list resulting from Correction Officer Examination No. 4002, a list that had expired prior to his initiation of his Article 78 action.

In view of this, Judge Hunter said Farrison claim that that DOC's decision not to appoint as a Correction Officer was arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law, is without merit. The court explained that once a civil service eligible list expires, it cannot be revived and an individual whose name appears on an expired eligibility list cannot be appointed to a civil service position on that basis.

As the Court of Appeals said in Cash v Bates, 301 NY 258, appointment to a civil service title from an expired civil service eligible list a "legal impossibility."*

In addition, Judge Hunter cited Hancock v. City of New York, 272 AD2d 80, in which the Appellate Division, held that a "plaintiff, whose name appears on a now-expired civil service list, is no longer entitled to be hired as a correction officer, notwithstanding that he was improperly declared to have been ineligible for the job."

* To provide for a remedy for the "impossiblitity" of appointing an individual from an expired eligible list, Section 243.7 of the Military Law authorizes the establishment of "special eligible lists" to accommodate situations involving an eligible list that expired while a candidate is on ordered military service. It provides that "Any person whose name is on any eligible list ... while in military duty ... is reached for certification during his [or her] military duty ... [his or her name] shall be placed on a special eligible list in the order of his [or her] original standing ... [and such special eligible] list shall be certified before certification shall be made from a subsequent open competitive or promotion eligible list for the same position .... Such names shall remain on such special eligible list for a period of two years after the termination of such military duty...."

The decision is posted on the Internet at: http://www.courts.state.ny.us/reporter/3dseries/2010/2010_51113.htm